Wall systems defined by upright space-dividing panels are widely utilized in offices and the like to divide large open areas into smaller work spaces. Such panels, which may be of floor-to-ceiling height or of lesser height, are typically prefabricated employing a rigid ring-shaped frame surrounding a suitable core structure, with a thin flexible covering sheet positioned over the large exterior side surface of the panel and edge flaps of the covering sheet being wrapped around and secured to edge faces of the frame. The covering sheet usually constitutes a thin flexible fabric, vinyl or foil-like material, and defines the exposed side surface of the assembled wall panel.
In a typical wall panel of the aforementioned type, it is conventional to secure the covering sheet to the frame by inserting the cover sheet edge flaps into grooves or channels which extend lengthwise along the edge faces of the frame, with the flaps being held within the channels by an elongate retaining element, often referred to as a spline. The elongate retaining element is generally of paper or elastomeric material so that it can be compressed into the channel and wedgingly hold the edge flap in engagement therein. This construction is and has been widely used since it facilitates removal and replacement of the cover sheet when desired. This securement process, however, is difficult and labor intensive inasmuch as the spline is typically progressively inserted lengthwise along the channel by a manually manipulated tool which requires significant manual manipulation and introduces variations into the assembly process with respect to the overall quality of the securement and the tensioning of the cover sheet on the assembled wall panel.
An example of a known wall panel employing a construction similar to that described above is illustrated by U.S. Pat. No. 5,606,836, owned by the Assignee hereof.
While the above described technique has and continues to be successfully utilized in many situations, nevertheless it has been discovered that the technique of employing a spline-and-groove securing technique results in additional complications when dealing with newer types of fabric cover sheets currently in use, specifically cover sheets or fabric sheets which have a loose weave pattern and/or employ plastic fibers as such fabrics are more easily distorted and have a more slippery texture, whereby application of the fabric and the securement thereof using the spline technique induces additional problems with respect to either slippage of the fabric and/or distortion of the fabric during the assembly process. These slippage and/or distortion problems can significantly and adversely impact the overall visual and hence aesthetic appearance of the wall panel.